Strong growth in the number of people getting their drugs checked is reassuring against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile drug supply and a surge in consumption, the NZ Drug Foundation Te Puna Whakaiti Pāmamae Kai Whakapiri says.
The Foundation’s drug checking service tested 3,213 samples at 141 clinics in 2024, representing a 23.5% increase in samples and a 44% increase in clinics compared to 2023 (2602 samples at 98 clinics). This does not include samples checked by New Zealand’s two other drug checking providers, KnowYourStuffNZ and Drug Injecting Services Canterbury (DISC).
The Foundation also distributed more than 18,000 free fentanyl and nitazene test strips throughout the year via its website and partner organisations, enabling people who can’t access a clinic to test their drugs for these potent synthetic opioids.
The numbers are revealed in the Foundation’s new report, What we saw at drug checking in 2024. The report shows that 68% of drugs checked were as expected, up slightly from 64% in 2023.
Executive Director Sarah Helm says that in today’s increasingly toxic drug market, drug checking services are a crucial tool to prevent drug harm and deaths.
“Drug checking is saving lives and saving health system dollars, not just by telling people what’s in their drugs, but because of the valuable harm reduction conversations we have with every client,” she says.
“During 2024 our staff detected a number of concerning substances that could have caused real harm in the community – including potent synthetic opioids, industrial chemicals, new benzodiazepines, and synthetic cathinones.”
“It’s not just the clients who get this crucial information. When we find something concerning, we are able to share that anonymised information with the community so that we can prevent widespread harm.”
In 2024, the Foundation expanded its services significantly, including the launch of clinics every weekday at the Foundation’s Auckland office. Clinics were also held in central, west and south Auckland, Christchurch, Gisborne, Hokitika, Masterton, New Plymouth, Porirua, and Whangārei.
“The increased accessibility of our service, particularly with our daily clinics, has been hugely successful, reaching more new clients and diverse communities. For many people, it provides their first opportunity for a confidential, judgment-free conversation about their drug use,” says Helm.
Key findings from the 2024 report:
68% of samples were what people expected, up from 64% in 2023.
8% contained a completely different drug than expected.
6% contained the expected drug mixed with other psychoactive or hazardous substances.
16% were unknown substances prior to checking.
2% returned inconclusive results.
Among commonly checked substances, 89% of MDMA, 74% of cocaine, 91% of ketamine, and 82% of methamphetamine samples were as expected.
Read the full report on the NZ Drug Foundation website: https://drugfoundation.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=12b1eb03b683b7209e15a8fcb&id=fc49a77235&e=19a223383c
